Golf ball retriever



July 21, 1964 3,141,696

C. J. NAU

GOLF BALL RETRIEVER Filed April 25, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 J5 INVENTOR.

July 21, 1964 c;. NAU

GOLF BALL RETRIEVER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 23, 1962 W v v i 6&22 25 3 United States Patent 3,141,696 GOLF BALL RETRIEVER Charles J. Nan, 8531 Elmwood Road, Munster, Ind. Filed Apr. 23, 1962, Ser. No. 189,393 3 Claims. (Cl. 294-19) The present invention relates to a device for retrieving golf balls from water hazards and the like, and it pertains particularly to an improved golf ball retriever of highly compact construction.

An important object of the invention is to provide an improved golf ball retriever which may be conveniently and unobtrusively carried in the golf bag or jacket pocket and which is operable for enabling a golfer to reach a golf ball remote from the edge of a water hazard.

Another object is to provide a galf ball retriever of the foregoing type which, from a compact condition, is extendible to substantial lengths for retrieving balls, the retriever being readily retractable into the original compact condition for storage.

Still another object is to provide a golf ball retriever of the foregoing type in which the retrieving mechanism may be wholly encased for storage thereby to obviate protruding parts.

A further object is to provide a golf ball retriever constructed and arranged for rapid extension and retraction between operative and storage conditions.

Further features of the invention pertain to the particular arrangement of the parts of the improved golf ball retriever wherein the above-outlined and additional features are attained.

This invention, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages, will best be understood by reference to the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals designate like parts throughout, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a golf ball retriever of the present invention shown in a preferred condition for carrying and storage;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 and particularly illustrating a cover opened for access to a storage compartment;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view on a reduced scale showing the golf ball retriever in a condition for retrieving a golf ball;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, sectional view taken generally in the direction of the arrows along the line 4-4 in FIG. 2 and illustrating the ball retrieving portion extended in a first shifted condition;

PEG. 5 is a greatly enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view taken generally in the direction of the arrows along the line 5-5 in FIG. 6;

FIG. 6 is a plan view in the scale of FIG. 4 showing the ball retrieving portion extended in a second shifted condition;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the ball retrieving portion as presented to a golf ball;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken generally in the direction of the arrows along the line 8-8 in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a greatly enlarged, exploded, perspective view of a connector means included in the present invention; and

FIG. 10 is an assembled, fragmentary, perspective view of the mechanism shown in FIG. 9.

There is shown in the drawings and generally designated by the numeral 1t) an improved golf ball retriever made in accordance with and embodying the principles of the present invention. Referring particularly to FIGS. 1 to 3, the golf ball retriever 10 includes a casing 12 of rectilinear Patented July 21, 1964 form, a cup-shaped ball retrieving head 14, and an extendible tape 16.

It is to be apprehended from FIGS. 2 and 4 that the casing 12 is of hollow construction and is internally divided by a transversely extending bulkhead 18 into an accessible storage compartment 20 and a non-accessible containment chamber 22. To permit a measure of communication between the storage compartment 20 and the containment chamber 22, the bulkhead 18 is provided with an opening 24 adjacent to a long wall 25 of the casing 12. A second and slot-like opening 26 is disposed in a short or end wall 28 of the casing 12, the slotted opening 26 being arranged in alignment with the opening 24 to provide an unobstructed passageway along the wall 25 for a length of the tape 16 when such is withdrawn from the coil 16a disposed in the chamber 22.

Dimensionally, the storage compartment 20 is sized to accommodate the ball retrieving head 14, and the chamber 22 is so constructed as to contain a substantial length of coiled tape 16. The hollow portions 20, 22 of the casing 12 are substantially filled by the respectively contained elements 14, 16.

A lid 30, mounted to the casing 12 by a pair of hinges 32, affords ready access to the storage compartment 20, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. The lid 30 carries in depending fashion a portion 25a of the wall 25 and a portion 28a of the wall 28 as well as a length of the slot 26. A suitable lock and latch mechanism (not shown) may be mounted to the casing 12 for purposes of securing the lid 39 in a closed position. Alternatively, the hinge members 32 may be spring biased towards the closed position of the lid 3t as shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 6.

It is to be recognized that the casing 10 is compact in form and is sized to comfortably fit a golfers hand for the purpose of serving as a handle means during use. Further, when the retrieving head 14 and tape 16 have been retracted into their respective storage positions, and the lid 30 is closed, the function of the golf ball retriever 10 is then unobvious to a casual onlooker. The significance of this point is found in the fact that many golfers are sensitive that their fellow players should know that a golf ball retriever is regularly used. One inference to be drawn here is that such golfers do not wish to be considered by their associates as duffers. In prior constructions the express function of the device was readily apparent from even a casual observation.

The golf ball retrieving head 14, shown best in FIGS. 3, 6, 7 and 8, will now be described. A frusto-conically shaped collar member 34 provides a frame structure for the head 14 from which a collapsible wall or pocket 36 is securely affixed. The smaller diameter of the collar 34, defining a receiving opening 35, is dimensioned to receive therethrough a golf ball'38. The pocket 36, being secured around the portion of the collar 34 having a larger diameter is dimensioned to have a depth greater than the receiving opening 35 so as to securely retain a retrieved ball 38 within the head 14.

The collapsible wall or pocket 36 obtains its function from the fact that it is formed of filamentous materials having generally open construction. This net-like arrangement defines a flexible fabric adapted to be collapsed into the receiving opening 35 when it is desired to fit the head 14 into the storage compartment 20, best shown in FIG. 2.

The extendible member 16 is of relatively deep concavo-convex cross section when freely extended, shown in FIGS. 6-10, but when wound into the coil 16a takes the form of a coiled fiat strip, shown in FIG. 4. An inner end 16b is suitably secured to an anchor post 49 rigidly mounted at the center of the chamber 22. It is recognized that alternative means for attaching the coil 16a to the casing 12 may be employed to afford various advantages such as low cost or ease of movement and such alternative measures are contemplated as being within the purview of the invention.

When extended from the chamber 22 through the openings 24, 26 the outer portion of the tape 16, here designated 16c, assumes the concavo-convex cross section which affords substantial longitudinal stiffness to the tape 16 thereby adequately to support the retrieving head 14 during use. It is seen from the broken line illustration in FIG. 4 that when the retrieving head 14 is arranged within the compartment 20, the cross section of the tape 16 extends parallel with the axis of the receiving opening 35. In the condition for use as shown in FIGS. 5-10, the cross section of the tape is arranged normal to the axis of the opening 35 to orient the stronger section of the tape to best advantage for resisting the forces applied by use of the head 14 for retrieving balls.

So that the head 14 may be shifted with respect to the lateral section of the tape 16, a connector member 51 is provided. More particularly, the shiftable connector 50 includes a ferrule 52 fixedly secured to the outermost end 160 of the tape 16. A hollow coupling 54 is united to the collar 34, shown best in FIG. 5. An outwardly projecting cylindrical body 56 of the ferrule 52 is adapted to be rotatably received within a complementary opening 53 of the coupling 54, shown best in FIG. 9. A pair of crescent-shaped cam slots 60 and 62 are arranged in the Walls of the coupling 54 on opposite sides thereof. A cam follower pin 64 carried by the body 56 rides within the slots 60, 62 to provide a controlled movement when shifting the head 14 with respect to the tape 160. A compression type coil spring 66 is contained within the coupling 54 inwardly of the body 56 to bias the ferrule 52 with respect to the coupling 54. A dome-shaped cap 67 which acts as a spring keeper presents a spherical surface for engagement with the free end of the body 56. It is to be understood that other connector arrangements which permit the requisite orientation of the tape 16 with respect to the head 14 may be adapted for use with the present invention. Further, in certain adaptations it may be desirable that the tape 16 be disconnectable from the head 14 for storage or other purposes.

Referring to FIG. 3, the golf ball retriever 11 may be used to retrieve an unfortunately directed ball 28 from a water hazard or the like trap by first withdrawing the head 14 a distance of 8 to 12 feet from the casing 12. The longitudinal stiffness of the tape 16 is afforded by the deep lateral curvature enhanced by the spring-like characteristics of the steel material from which the tape is formed. The frusto-conically shaped collar 14 presents a scoop-like lip formation to the misplaced ball 38, shown best in FIG. 8. Further the collar 14 slides or cams along the bottom of the hazard without penetrating in approaching the ball 38. Thus, by the collars not digging into the ground, the head 14 is minimally susceptible to retrieving foreign matter such as mud which frequently obtained in prior constructions.

It will be perceived from the drawings and from the above textual material that there has been set forth a single embodiment of the invention. While specific terms are employed, these are intended only in a descriptive and generic sense as contrasted to purposes of limitation. For example, the cup shaped retrieving head 14 may be connected to the extensible tape 16 by a variety of suitable connectors, or the handle means or casing 12 may be of any of numerous shapes which are adapted to contain the tape 16 and head 14 and to comfortably fit the hand. Further changes in form or proportion of the parts as well as the substitution of equivalents are contemplated as circumstances may suggest or render expedient without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

The invention is claimed as follows:

1. A golf ball retriever comprising, in combination: a hollow casing sized to comfortably fit a golfers hand and defining a containment chamber and a storage compartment in communication with said chamber; a coiled tape unwindably mounted within said containment chamber and withdrawable therefrom through said storage compartment; said tape being concavo-convex in lateral cross section to afford longitudinal stiffness when said tape is extended from said casing; a cup-shaped, ballretrieving head having a golf ball receiving opening therein; connector means for securing said retrieving head to one end of said tape, said connector means being. shiftable into a first position to orient said concavo-convex cross section of said tape substantially normal to the path of travel of said head when retrieving a golf ball, said connector means being shiftable into a second position to facilitate storage of said head in said casing, said retrieving head including a collapsible wall portion of a depth in its distended condition greater than the Width of said receiving opening for retaining securely a retrieved ball in said head, said collapsible wall portion in its collapsed condition being compactable into said receiving opening, said retrieving head then being containable in and substantially filling said storage compartment.

2. A golf ball retriever comprising, in combination: hollow handle means having an opening in a wall thereof; a coiled tape unwindably mounted within said handle means and withdrawable therefrom through said opening; a cup-shaped, ball-retrieving head united to one end of tape, said retrieving head having a golf ball receiving aperture, a frusto-conically shaped scooping lip surrounding said receiving aperture, said head including a pocket member of open filamentous construction to permit drainage of water from said head, said frusto-conical lip having a relatively large diameter end adjacent said pocket member and a relatively small diameter free end opposite from said pocket member, said retrieving head being completely encaseable by said hollow handle means.

3. A golf ball retriever comprising, in combination: a hollow casing sized to comfortably fit a golfers hand and defining a containment chamber and a storage compartment in communication with said chamber; movable closure means mounted on said casing to permit access to said storage compartment; a coiled tape mounted for unwinding within said chamber and withdrawable therefrom through said storage compartment; said containment chamber including a wall having slot means therein guiding said tape, said storage compartment having a wall spaced from said first mentioned wall and having slot means therein for guiding said tape when the tape is extended; a cup-shaped, ball-retrieving head including a collar sized to receive a golf ball freely therethrough; connector means for securing said collar to one end of said tape, said retrieving head further including a pocket member of open fabric construction united at its open end to said collar, said retrieving head being containable in and substantially filling said storage compartment of said casing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A GOLF BALL RETRIEVER COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: A HOLLOW CASING SIZED TO COMFORTABLY FIT A GOLFER''S HAND AND DEFINING A CONTAINMENT CHAMBER AND A STORAGE COMPARTMENT IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID CHAMBER; A COILED TAPE UNWINDABLY MOUNTED WITHIN SAID CONTAINMENT CHAMBER AND WITHDRAWABLE THEREFROM THROUGH SAID STORAGE COMPARTMENT; SAID TAPE BEING CONCAVO-CONVEX IN LATERAL CROSS SECTION TO AFFORD LONGITUDINAL STIFFNESS WHEN SAID TAPE IS EXTENDED FROM SAID CASING; A CUP-SHAPED, BALLRETRIEVING HEAD HAVING A GOLF BALL RECEIVING OPENING THEREIN; CONNECTOR MEANS FOR SECURING SAID RETRIEVING HEAD TO ONE END OF SAID TAPE, SAID CONNECTOR MEANS BEING SHIFTABLE INTO A FIRST POSITION TO ORIENT SAID CONCAVO-CONVEX CROSS SECTION OF SAID TAPE SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL TO THE PATH OF TRAVEL OF SAID HEAD WHEN RETRIEVING A GOLF BALL, SAID CONNECTOR MEANS BEING SHIFTABLE INTO A SECOND POSITION TO FACILITATE STORAGE OF SAID HEAD IN SAID CASING, SAID RETRIEVING HEAD INCLUDING A COLLAPSIBLE WALL PORTION OF A DEPTH IN ITS DISTENDED CONDITION GREATER THAN THE WIDTH OF SAID RECEIVING OPENING FOR RETAINING SECURELY A RETRIEVED BALL IN SAID HEAD, SAID COLLAPSIBLE WALL PORTION IN ITS COLLAPSED CONDITION BEING COMPACTABLE INTO SAID RECEIVING OPENING, SAID RETRIEVING HEAD THEN BEING CONTAINABLE IN AND SUBSTANTIALLY FILLING SAID STORAGE COMPARTMENT. 